


A Memory, A Dream, and A Kiss

by DancingTheWrongWay



Category: Sorted (Website) RPF
Genre: Early Sorted, Kissing, M/M, Sorted HQ (Old Studio), Young Ben/Young Mike
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-08
Updated: 2015-06-08
Packaged: 2018-04-03 11:15:15
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,699
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4099008
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DancingTheWrongWay/pseuds/DancingTheWrongWay
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Wait, Mike kissed a boy?</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Memory, A Dream, and A Kiss

**Author's Note:**

> My unyielding thanks to [Caitlinamylaura](http://enterprisingyoungmind.tumblr.com) for keeping me sane. And to anyone else who may actually read this, THANK YOU!

"Are you calling me a slut, Ben?" Mike smiled.

"Not slutty. Just popular." Ben shrugged and set down a tray of mixing bowls full of flour, sugar and eggs.

The guys had all been working rather hard all day, taping several videos in succession. They were at the end of the last one when the subject of unlikely kissing partners came up.

Mike's smile faded as he absentmindedly dropped a handful of spoons noisily on the counter. "Okay, fine, I've kissed a few girls, yeah. But I've only ever kissed one boy. It wasn't--" He stopped, figuring he'd said too much. After all, Ben was that boy he'd kissed. It was a very long time ago when they were still young boys at school, but they never spoke of it since. Until now, Mike never knew why, but now he was starting to think maybe because Ben never wanted anyone to know. Feeling his own face getting redder, he felt a flush of embarrassment at the realization that Ben would never want to be with some buffoon like him.

Ben went quiet, too, but for a very different reason. Suddenly, he didn't want to hear anymore for fear of suddenly feeling sick. Not only did he have no recollection of Mike ever kissing him, he'd never even thought Mike to ever be remotely interested in boys. It was something he felt uniquely alone about throughout his entire childhood. Now, out of nowhere, Mike has kissed a boy?

It was then that he noticed Mike looking a bit embarrassed. Knowing how hard it was for him to admit even to himself about feeling abnormal for being gay, he couldn't bear to let his best friend go through it, too. "Mike it's fine. I don't care if you like boys, girls, or aliens. Livestock is a bit of a moral grey area, but you'll always be my friend."

"What about you?" Mike asked, desperate to get the focus away from himself.

"I've kissed a boy. The only boy I've ever slept with at university. That's it. Just one boy. No girls. And have no desire to. But you know that.”

It took him a moment to realize Ben wasn't talking about him, but Mike had never known Ben to be involved with anyone else. He supposed he should have expected that Ben would sleep with someone by this age, but he'd never really thought about it. Suddenly he realized Ben really did have a life of his own away from all these childhood friends and memories. "Anyone you're interested in still?"

Ben stayed silent. James was a Scottish man who took all the same classes as he did at school and had only recently been back in touch. After graduation, they went their separate ways via apprenticeships in two very different countries. Ben went to Ireland, and James spent his year in America, although he had nearly tempted Ben to come with him. Ireland won out in the end, but he had second guessed that decision many times since.

Mike read Ben's silence loud and clear. He had no chance with Ben, and was silly to ever think he ever did.

Just then Jamie spoke up, “Barry tongue kissed a dog once!”

Barry shouted, “I was asleep and a dog was licking my face! That doesn't count! Besides, I never made out with my cousin!”

“We didn't know at the time!” Jamie shrieked and just like that, the four friends were back to laughing and all the awkwardness from before had melted away into nothing.

Still, Ben couldn't keep his eyes off Mike. This new information had thrown him for a loop and now he was seeing him in a completely different light. And it was a _very_ attractive light. If he was honest with himself, he'd always had a sort of childhood crush on Mike. When they were still just school boys, all full of pubescent hormones and curiosity, it could be said that their playing together turned a little more to the exploration side. It was innocent fun and once they'd moved into their later teen years, the little games had stopped.

Mike was watching Ben, too. How could he not say that he'd kissed _two_ boys? Whoever this mystery guy was from uni, and him. He could remember it like it was yesterday. He was spending the night at Ben's house as he'd done many times when they were younger. Or were they a bit older? The specifics were getting a little fuzzy now that he tried to nail down the details. Were they even at Ben's parent's house? Or his parent's? Or was it Ben's current apartment? Well, no, that would have been too recent and they'd both remember that. No, the kiss seemed so long ago. But not. Wait... _was it a dream?_

Barry and Jamie were busy positioning cameras and focusing lights around the tiny studio. Mike found Ben standing at the counter separating egg whites into yet another mixing bowl.

Out of nowhere, Ben leaned up and nipped at Mike's chin because that's what guy friends do, right?

"Oi! You bit me!" Mike yelped.

"I nibbled!"

"You nearly took off half my face! I've probably got rabies now."

"Don't be such a baby, and I'm not rabid!"

"Baz, look there," Mike jutted his chin toward Barry. "Should I get stitches?"

"You're not bleeding. There's nothing there." Barry sighed, and Ben grinned triumphantly. But Barry turned to him as well. "Bad Ben! No biting! It's like baby sitting a room full of toddlers, you lot."

As Ben spun the other direction, Mike, without thinking, kissed Ben so quickly on the lips mid-turn that no one in the room even noticed. Even Ben stood there motionless for a moment wondering what just happened. He'd thought Mike kissed him, but that couldn't be. Mike would never kiss him. Not without it being some kind of joke and no one else in the room was laughing. In fact, he was beginning to doubt it happened at all as everyone in the room carried on as they were.

Slowly, Ben went back to work stirring his egg whites far too slowly to whip. He just ineffectually pushed the slimy mess around and around in the bowl until Jamie finally took the bowl from him. "There's an electric mixer, you know."

Ben just nodded vaguely and mumbled something incoherent about stiff peaks or stiff something or another.

Mike watched Ben in a daze wondering if he'd done something horribly wrong. It wasn't like Ben to be taken off guard so easily. If fact, he didn't think he was capable of sending the mighty Ben Ebbrell into such a state. He wasn't sure if he should feel bad or extremely proud of himself.

In fact, Ben remained on some kind of autopilot for the next hour as they finished taping the last recipe of the day. Barry left with Jamie once filming equipment was cleared away and left Mike to help Ben finish cleaning the kitchen.

Once they were alone, Mike stood across the room just watching. Ben didn't look up or even stop what he was doing when he finally spoke while simultaneously scrubbing a bit of cake frosting off the stove. "You kissed me."

"Well spotted. Actually, no, that was over an hour ago. Horribly spotted, Ben."

Ben finally looked up and smiled. "Alright, but why?"

"I wanted to." There was a lot more Mike could have said, but this wasn't the time or place.

Ben sensed as much and finished cleaning up the last of the dishes in silence.

Then they walked together to the train station in silence.

They sat on the train in silence, but doesn't everyone?

Finally, they reached their destination. Once out by the street, they both turned toward their respective homes and began walking. In silence.

Well, Ben had enough of the silence. He couldn't get the image of Mike kissing another man out of his head, or let go of the feelings he had when he was younger. Even if they were childish, he had enough time to realize that day that they were still very real.

"Hey Mike?" He turned and called out.

"Yeah?" Mike spun around looking strangely sad.

"If you're going to kiss someone, you really ought to do it correctly."

Mike chuckled dryly and tried to smile. "I was that wrong, eh?"

Ben stepped forward and took Mike's face in both hands before pressing his mouth warmly to his, slowly coaxing his lips apart just enough to push his tongue between them, tentatively touching the tip to his.

Mike hummed softly into the kiss and ran his tongue slowly but completely along Ben's before his arms began instinctively reaching out to wrap around his waist, pulling him closer. In turn, he felt Ben's arms looping around his neck and there they stood, kissing each other over and over again until they realized they were the only ones left standing at the station.

“I have a confession to make,” Mike said. Now that he and Ben have unmistakably kissed, he could finally admit to himself that the kiss he was remembering was, in fact, just dream he had long ago. A wonderful dream that made him feel loved by someone he cherished, but never made it known. Now that he had experienced the real thing, however, the dream didn't seem as important anymore. “I never really kissed another guy. I only dreamt about it. It was probably the best dream I've ever had because it was about kissing you. That's why I guess I thought it was real for so long.”

Ben smiled. Then he laughed. “Oh, Mike, you beautiful, sweet, and ridiculous creature.” He leaned up and nipped at Mike's chin again (this time Mike did not protest), feeling the sudden rush of relief sweeping through him from head to toe. “You can kiss me any time you like!”

Mike smiled and backed away reluctantly, turning to walk back home. But before he did, he asked, “What happens now?”

Ben smiled and shrugged before heading in his own direction. “Kiss me again tomorrow, and we'll find out together.”

**Author's Note:**

> Feel free to make requests or comment here or come visit me @ [dancingthewrongway on tumblr!](http://dancingthewrongway.tumblr.com)


End file.
